ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICES TOWARD FIRST AID OF HYPOGLYCEMIA IN SAUDI ARABIA, RIYADH AND JEDDAH CITIES 2016.

Abstract

Background: Hypoglycemia is one of the most common complications of diabetes management. The over enthusiastic approach in maintaining tight blood sugar control so as to reduce the long-term complications of diabetes have resulted in increase in frequency of this complication. This situation seems to get worsened with use of combination of anti-diabetic drugs. Objectives: To assess the level of awareness toward First Aid Related To Hypoglycemia among Population In Riyadh And Jeddah cities to identify barriers. Methods: A cross sectional analytical questionnaire based study among the general population of Riyadh And Jeddah cities. Results: A total of 360 subjects answered the questionnaires. The mean age were 36 years, ranged from 16 to 70 and 45.2% females and 43.7% male respondents .Of these, 67% had attended college, 5% had postgraduate degree, 23.5% had completed high school, and 3.1%hadbasic school. The majority of participants had high level of monthly income (38%). The majority of subjects included in the research were (59.6%) married and (51.3%)were unemployed. Most subjects (338)had poor knowledge about risk of hypoglycemia and there was no association between the knowledge and demographics of participants except for education as the higher the levels of education, the more significant association with good knowledge. Conclusion: The Results of the present study reveal that the knowledge about the risks of hypoglycemia and first aid of hypoglycemia was poor among the studied population. Also, education significantly impacts the knowledge of hypoglycemia thus there is a need for providing the population and patients with necessary information to improve their hypoglycemia awareness.Hypoglycemia is one of the most common complications of diabetes management. The over enthusiastic approach in maintaining tight blood sugar control so as to reduce the long-term complications of diabetes have resulted in increase in frequency of this complication. This situation seems to get worsened with use of combination of anti-diabetic drugs. Corresponding Author:-Mohammed Mahbub ALOTAIBI Mohammed saad alghamdi. ISSN: 2320-5407 Int. J. Adv. Res. 5(3), 2187-2194 2188 The American Diabetes Association defines the hypoglycemia as " any abnormally low plasma glucose concentration that exposes the subject to potential harm " , and proposes a threshold of <70 mg% (1). In subjects with type 1 diabetes, autoimmune destruction of pancreatic β-cells leads eventually to an absolute requirement for insulin replacement therapy. Insulin delivered exogenously is not subject to normal physiological feedback regulation, so it may induce hypoglycemia even in the presence of an intact counter regulatory response . The average individual with type 1 diabetes experiences about two episodes of symptomatic hypoglycemia per week, a figure that has not changed substantially in the last 20 years (2). This risk is increased markedly with the increasing duration of the disease and strict glycemic control. In subjects with type 2 diabetes, the increasing duration of the disease and the more widespread use of insulin therapy also increase the risk of severe hypoglycemia. This was reflected in a recent survey in Tayside, Scotland, which found the proportion of severe hypoglycemic episodes needing emergency medical assistance was similar between type 1 and insulin-treated type 2 diabetic patients (3). Our Study Was Designed To Examine Health Beliefs And Assessment Level OF Awareness Toward Early First Aid Related To Hypoglycemia among Population In Saudi Arabia, Riyadh And Jeddah And Applies The Health Belief Model To Determine Barriers. Rationale:-Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that constitutes a major public health problem. The worldwide prevalence of DM has risen tremendously over the past two decades. Hypoglycemia is one of the most common complications of diabetes management. The over enthusiastic approach in maintaining tight blood sugar control so as to reduce the long-term complications of diabetes have resulted in increase in frequency of this complication. This situation seems to get worsened with use of combination of anti-diabetic drugs.